Some of my friends noted that I have a good amount of hip-hop on my iPod and asked me to make a mix for them. I made a mix of all my favorites but it’s just stuff I happen to have collected, some of it probably Top 40 dreck, nothing too important I’m sure.
Since I’m not a hard core hip-hop fan, I am interested in songs that real hip-hop fans like, so I can see what’s out there that I’m missing and fill out my collection.
Not looking for recommendations as to what I might like, I wanna know what everyone else likes already.
So, gimme a list of your favorite 10 hip-hop tracks.
Mineshaft II - Dessa
The Bullpen - Dessa
Secrets of the Undersea Bell - Astronautalis
Two Years Before the Mast - Astronautalis
Uncle Sam Goddamn - Brother Ali
Talk to Strangers - Saul Williams
Sea Lion - Sage Francis
Soldier - Eminem
Square Dance - Eminem
Dessa, Astronautalis, and Brother Ali are out of Minneapolis, which is easily my favorite hip hop scene. Dessa is also part of the Doomtree collective, which I’m pretty fond of but nothing of theirs stands out quite like her stuff does.
Onion Head - Sean Price
Hoe Cakes - MF Doom
The Bridge is over - Boogie Down Productions
Paid in Full - Rakim and Eric B
Bring the Noise - Public Enemy
Unbelievable - Biggie Smalls
Wildflower - Ghostface Killa
Children’s Story - Slick Rick (mainly for the music, in particular the cuttin’ at the end)
It aint hard to tell - Nas
Ether - Nas
No way I could pull a true top ten. But those are up there, I’m sure.
Public Enemy - Bring the Noise
Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhime
Beastie Boys - Shake Your Rump
The Coup - Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night
De La Soul - Magic Number
Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
Fu-Schnickens - Sum Dum Monkey
B.O.B. by Outkast A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays by De La Soul Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz by Biz Markie Feel Good Inc by the Gorillaz Let Me Ride by Dr Dre
*Paul Revere *by the Beastie Boys Intergalactic by The Beastie Boys I’m Bad by LL Cool J Hits From The Bong by Cypress Hill (they ate Peter Frampton’s sandwiches!) Transit Ride by Guru
Digital Underground - Doowutchyalike
Beastie Boys - Stand Together
A Tribe Called Quest - Buggin’ Out
Del the Funky Homosapien - If You Must
The Coup - Me & Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night
Atmosphere - You
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury
MC Lars - Ahab
Deltron 3030 - Virus
Faith No More & Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. - Another Body Murdered
Ya gotta fight - Beastie Boys
Rappers Delight - Sugar Hill Gang
The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Basketball - Kurtis Blow
It’s Tricky - Run DMC
Enter Wu Tang - The Wu Tang Clan
Straight outta Compton - N.W.A.
Body Rock - Treachouros Three
Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang - Dr Dre
Rock the Bells - LL Cool J
I think you might have guessed I am not 18 any more!
This is a list of my early intro to hip hop. I love some of the stuff listed by others but to make a top list is tricky.
I just went back and checked and I am in error. Sonic Youth was in Peter Frampton’s cooler…Cypress Hill ordered the orchestra. Sorry for the confusion.
Life Goes On - Tupac
Holler if you Hear Me - Tupac
California Love - Tupac
Cleanin’ out my Closet - Eminem
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos - Public Enemy
Ghetto Vet - Ice Cube
ATLiens - Outkast
Takin’ Hits - Young Buck
Microphone Fiend - Eric B and Rakim
My Philosphy - Boogie Down Productions
Terrific song. And I never judge a song by the subject matter. I judge on lyrical skill, clever word play, killer, hot beats, cutting edge slang and sweet delivery. I know some people think that hip hop songs are autobiographies, but even when they claim to be, I take that with a cup of salt. And they often don’t claim to be. I mean, hip hop artists don’t all claim to be rapping what they live.
Anyways, yeah, Wildflower is one of my favorite songs ever. I always give that one the word-for-word treatment. “Yo, Bitch! I fucked your friend!”